Which is the better course to play at Carton House ?

Macker1 · 15-03-2016 4:36pm #1

Which is the better course to play at Carton House ?

The O'Meara Course or Montgomerie Course ???

I have played the Montgomerie but will be bringing a friend who hasn't played either.

Any input welcomed

Ronney · 15-03-2016 4:50pm

O'Meara hands down, Has a great stretch of holes in the middle of the back 9. Only let down by a poor 18th.

Monty is essentially a big field. Dont buy any of that "inland links Sh1t"

bustercherry · 15-03-2016 5:15pm

Depends on your ability. Off the Whites/Blues the Monty is a proper test and requires you to think about landing spots from the tee, rather than aiming for the middle of the fairway. The O'Meara needs to be played off the back tees IMO to be a challenge. Also bar the few holes in the back 9 on the O'Meara; you could be on any parkland course in Ireland.

I'd suggest playing the Monty as it will be in better condition after the sh1tty winter we have had. The O'Meara will be boggy enough off the fairways.

RoadRunner · 15-03-2016 5:24pm

This thread is sure to divide opinion and open savage rifts between normally nice people

RoadRunner · 15-03-2016 5:33pm

For me the O'Meara was the "prettier" of the two and the more suitable for the 6-rounds-a-year golfer that I was at the time. You can't really go wrong with either, but I think it takes a more serious golfer to get the most out of the monty.

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yipsnomore · 15-03-2016 5:51pm

Depends totally on conditioning. Montgomerie more likely to be in better condition. Great test of golf but there is a diagonal wind there that can be brutal.

OMeara is very enjoyable. At its best in the summer obviously

Macker1 · 15-03-2016 5:59pm

Will be playing on 29th April so weather should hopefully have improved and courses in good nick.

Ben1977 · 15-03-2016 9:03pm

O'meara for me no 2 holes the same

Milkers · 15-03-2016 10:41pm

Two of the most overrated courses in the country.

Wichita Lineman · 16-03-2016 10:52am

I find the O'Meara is more enjoyable for a one off round as the Monty punishes good shots with massive bunkers in every possible place.

kieran. · 16-03-2016 11:11am

Wichita Lineman wrote: »

I find the O'Meara is more enjoyable for a one off round as the Monty punishes good shots with massive bunkers in every possible place.

But its not a good shot if ends up in a bunker

Domo1982 · 16-03-2016 11:22am

Milkers wrote: »

Two of the most overrated courses in the country.

Then I would suggest that you don't know your golf very well

charlieIRL · 16-03-2016 12:28pm

Milkers wrote: »

Two of the most overrated courses in the country.

While I've never played the O'Meara, I kinda agree about the Monty, I just don't get that excited feeling when getting ready to play there. . Same with the Smurfit Course in the K-Club, just doesn't do it for me. There's lots of better courses out there IMHO.
I'd take Fota, Druids Glen, Kileen, Tullamore and a few more over them anyday.

Domo1982 · 16-03-2016 12:38pm

charlieIRL wrote: »

While I've never played the O'Meara, I kinda agree about the Monty, I just don't get that excited feeling when getting ready to play there. . Same with the Smurfit Course in the K-Club, just doesn't do it for me. There's lots of better courses out there IMHO.
I'd take Fota, Druids Glen, Kileen, Tullamore and a few more over them anyday.

I think the Monty is a real players course. Your course management and ball striking has to be on the money for 18 holes to score well there. I think you'll probably find that the lower handicap players would enjoy it a little more.

Telecaster58 · 16-03-2016 12:52pm

Domo1982 wrote: »

I think the Monty is a real players course. Your course management and ball striking has to be on the money for 18 holes to score well there. I think you'll probably find that the lower handicap players would enjoy it a little more.

Quite right.
The O'Meara is "cookie-cutter" golf course design. The Montgomerie is a real test of golf.

Seve OB · 16-03-2016 1:03pm

Telecaster58 wrote: »

Quite right.
The O'Meara is "cookie-cutter" golf course design. The Montgomerie is a real test of golf.

Not off the greens though
it was a joke how short it was when we played it last year
much better off the back sticks.... well a bit further back anyway

charlieIRL · 16-03-2016 2:07pm

Seve OB wrote: »

Not off the greens though
it was a joke how short it was when we played it last year
much better off the back sticks.... well a bit further back anyway

agreed, needs to be off the back tee boxes alright.

charlieIRL · 16-03-2016 2:08pm

Domo1982 wrote: »

.... I think you'll probably find that the lower handicap players would enjoy it a little more.

Not entirely sure about that, everyone on the society enjoyed the round there last year.

Domo1982 · 16-03-2016 2:55pm

charlieIRL wrote: »

Not entirely sure about that, everyone on the society enjoyed the round there last year.

The course in its purest form and not from the juvenile tees Charlie:)

BigChap1759 · 16-03-2016 2:58pm

charlieIRL wrote: »

agreed, needs to be off the back tee boxes alright.

Thirded - none of the fairway bunkers are in play off the greens

Rikand · 16-03-2016 5:33pm

O'Meara is the better and more enjoyable golf course to play

imo

Keano · 16-03-2016 6:12pm

Domo1982 wrote: »

The course in its purest form and not from the juvenile tees Charlie:)

Trolling will not be tolerated

slave1 · 16-03-2016 8:21pm

The Monty is just okay IMHO, once you avoid the bunkers you should have no problem, both it and the Smurfit pale against the superior Druids Heath.
The O'Meara has some nice closing holes but other than that very overrated.

I was in the same both when looking to play there so made a day of it and played both!

WHIP IT! · 16-03-2016 9:07pm

I personally prefer the O'Meara but they're two fine courses. You'll enjoy whichever one you play.

First Up · 16-03-2016 10:15pm

slave1 wrote:

The Monty is just okay IMHO, once you avoid the bunkers you should have no problem, both it and the Smurfit pale against the superior Druids Heath. The O'Meara has some nice closing holes but other than that very overrated.

I would rate both Carton courses ahead of Druids Heath. But Druids Glen is another matter....

Telecaster58 · 18-03-2016 3:44pm

First Up wrote: »

I would rate both Carton courses ahead of Druids Heath. But Druids Glen is another matter....

Have to agree here. Druid's Heath is a terrible course.

yipsnomore · 18-03-2016 4:47pm

Druids Heath on my list of courses to never play again

BigChap1759 · 18-03-2016 4:52pm

Telecaster58 wrote: »

Have to agree here. Druid's Heath is a terrible course.

Going to have to bite......

Why do you think Druid's Heath is a terrible course? In terms of a quality layout and test of golf I'd say it's way ahead of The O'Meara although granted it's not as pretty to look at.

Dr_Colossus · 18-03-2016 5:02pm

Telecaster58 wrote: »

Have to agree here. Druid's Heath is a terrible course.

First Up wrote: »

I would rate both Carton courses ahead of Druids Heath. But Druids Glen is another matter....

yipsnomore wrote: »

Druids Heath on my list of courses to never play again

Have never played O'Meara so can't comment on that but found the Monty course terribly overrated and actually quite boring. Played the Monty from the white tees and actually played well to win my category in a decent competition so it wasn't as if the course beat me up. It was also in good condition with greens running true and fast and nice sand in all the bunkers I visited so couldn't fault it on that front either but I just didn't enjoy the golfing experience. Apart from maybe the first and last holes the rest of the course just blended into one long run of bunker and green complexes and walking off the course I couldn't really distinguish one hole from another.

Contrast that I'm surprised with all the negative reviews Druid's Heath gets. Played that also from the white tees and really enjoyed it, far exceeded my expectations. Long tough course but found it to be a nice mix of contrasting holes with different strategies involved and good use of water which I wasn't really expecting to see much of. Would take Druid's Heath everyday over the Monty course.

First Up · 18-03-2016 6:15pm

BigChap1759 wrote:

Why do you think Druid's Heath is a terrible course? In terms of a quality layout and test of golf I'd say it's way ahead of The O'Meara although granted it's not as pretty to look at.

I wouldn't call it terrible and I quite like bits of it. But there's a few awful holes on the back 9 that ruin it.

The O'Meara is the more enjoyable at Carton but I'd play the Monty ahead of DH too.

Seve OB · 18-03-2016 6:16pm

Don't understand the negativity on Druids Heath either. Fair enough it not the best course in the country or anywhere near it, but it is a decent track and streets ahead of a lot of others out there. I'm not going to compare it to either cartons as it is a couple of years since I played it and I haven't played omeara since new holes went in, so would be unfair

Seve OB · 18-03-2016 6:17pm

yipsnomore wrote: »

Druids Heath on my list of courses to never play again

Why?

yipsnomore · 18-03-2016 6:51pm

Seve OB wrote: »

Why?

I found some of the greens unplayable. It was 4 or 5 years ago. Don't ask me for specifics as I can't remember.

dar_cool · 18-03-2016 6:56pm

Druids heath is a cracking course. I've played it lots recently and really enjoy it. I think they really succeseeded with the inland links feel they were going for. The index 1 is one of the best holes I've ever played. I really don't understand the negativity around it.

Macker1 · 18-03-2016 7:11pm

dar_cool wrote: »

Druids heath is a cracking course. I've played it lots recently and really enjoy it. I think they really succeseeded with the inland links feel they were going for. The index 1 is one of the best holes I've ever played. I really don't understand the negativity around it.

Probably because its being compared to Druids Glen.

I played it late last year and I did enjoy it. The condition was a bit iffy in places but I guessing it was down to end of season and it obviously has high traffic.

First Up · 18-03-2016 7:39pm

yipsnomore wrote:

I found some of the greens unplayable. It was 4 or 5 years ago. Don't ask me for specifics as I can't remember.

Yes, meant to add that I find some greens tricked up.

First Up · 18-03-2016 7:51pm

dar_cool wrote:

Druids heath is a cracking course. I've played it lots recently and really enjoy it. I think they really succeseeded with the inland links feel they were going for. The index 1 is one of the best holes I've ever played. I really don't understand the negativity around it.

Really? What's so special about it? Just a long straight par 4 is all.

dar_cool · 18-03-2016 8:09pm

First Up wrote: »

Really? What's so special about it? Just a long straight par 4 is all.

Are we talking about the same hole ? Index 1 is a tee shot around a corner semi blind tee shot with a big cliff on the left and if you find the fairway you still have 200 yard plus to a tricky green with OB lurking 10 yards right of the green. Wouldn't exactly call it a straight long par 4

First Up · 18-03-2016 9:45pm

dar_cool wrote:

Are we talking about the same hole ? Index 1 is a tee shot around a corner semi blind tee shot with a big cliff on the left and if you find the fairway you still have 200 yard plus to a tricky green with OB lurking 10 yards right of the green. Wouldn't exactly call it a straight long par 4

My mistake - was thinking of a different hole. Yes, that 12th is a tough hole - and so is the 13th although I think that one (sloping fairway down to the pond) is a bit gimmicky.

BigChap1759 · 18-03-2016 10:47pm

dar_cool wrote: »

Druids heath is a cracking course. I've played it lots recently and really enjoy it. I think they really succeseeded with the inland links feel they were going for. The index 1 is one of the best holes I've ever played. I really don't understand the negativity around it.

I might be wrong but it's a heathland course, not an inland links - The Monty was an attempt at an inland links.

Granted not too many heathland courses in Ireland but plenty in Scotland and England.

Which is the better course to play at Carton House ?

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